Celtic Frost Cofounder Martin Eric Ain Dead At 50

Celtic Frost cofounder Martin Eric Ain (real name Martin Stricker) reportedly died unexpectedly on Saturday (October 21st), according to a media report out of Switzerland. He was 50 years old.

20 Minuten (via here) reported this weekend that a friend of Ain named Jan Graber told them that "Martin suddenly collapsed when he switched to a different tram."

An official cause or death or confirm was not available at press time but Celtic Frost frontman Thomas Gabriel Fischer had the following tribute, "I am deeply affected by his passing.

"Our relationship was very complex and definitely not free of conflicts, but Martin's life and mine were very closely intertwined, since we first met in 1982. We had only lunch with him two weeks ago. He was as good as ever, Although Ain also had a dark side: Death was an important issue for him. Otherwise he could not have co-founded a combo like Celtic Frost."